The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (Bethsaida)

The Lenten readings are in Luke 4:38-41 and John 5:1-15. A topic that I’m going to write about is from John 5:1-15, which is the healing at the Pool of Bethesda, also called Bethsaida. It was sometime during one of the Jewish festivals. A feast was taking place but which one it was, isn’t clearly stated. The three major feasts are Passover (in spring), Pentecost (50 days later), and the Feast of Booths (during the fall). The theme from John 5:1-7:52 is the rejection of Jesus as the Christ or Messiah, the anointed one.

God is 100% for Those Who Are His

As I really have shifted from the neither Calvinist nor Arminian view (some call it quasi-Arminian though it’s better to use the term, non-Calvinist), I became more or less Calvinist or Reformed. As I was studying John 3 a few days ago, I landed into John Piper’s latest devotion “When God Becomes 100% for Us” on my tablet. Some people claim that Reformed Theology teaches people are “saved from birth”. It can be ironic that the KJV was translated by Calvinists but King James Stewart actually and ironically hated Calvinism. It’s possible for some non-Calvinists today to respect Calvinist contributions but treat Calvinism with much contempt as Charles H. Spurgeon’s cigar. It’s like, “I love the Calvinist Christians but their Calvinism is something I despise like a cigar.”

As Many Were Ordained to Eternal Life, Believed

As I was reading the Solid Joys devotional, today’s entry was “God Opens the Heart”. I was looking at the introduction. It really asks the question of where Paul went preaching, some believe and some do not. Back when I was what would be considered “Arminian” (I personally prefer to use the term non-Calvinist), I always had that question in mind. I always wonder why some people who have heard the Gospel all their lives never got saved? It pains me to think of dead loved ones who heard the Gospel before I did and died unsaved. Why are some people so proud and obstinate that nothing you can do, can convince them? Back then, all that I could hear was, “It’s their problem. The important thing is we share.” Even a non-Calvinist can say, “Only God can change the hardened heart.” As Pastor David Washer would say that both the non-Calvinist and the Calvinist can agree that salvation can’t be manipulated. Even as a non-Calvinist back then, I didn’t have an issue with Calvinist Christians per se. I used to embrace Calvinist Christians and non-KJV Only Christians while rejecting their Calvinism and believing that the KJV is the only accurate English translation in these last days.

What Does Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth REALLY Mean?

Today’s Lenten reading is Matthew 5:38-48 which focuses on the principle of loving one’s enemies. At first, it seems that the introductory verse seems to be repealed. People tend to misquote the eye for an eye verse found in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21 to justify personal vendettas. An understanding of the principle of eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth has been all about damages and restitution. A deeper reading of the verse taken out of context will reveal something else. All the rules were about restoration and punishment fit for the crime. For example, if a person kills another person’s livestock shall restore it. As for murder cases, the person guilty of murder was to be put to death.

Total Depravity and the Really High Standards Against Murder and Adultery

How often is it said that if you do more good than bad, you’re certainly fine? Well, a reading from Matthew 5:21-32 which includes divorce. Sure, it’s straightforward to overlook divorce but the first two topics namely Matthew 5:21-26 (murder) and then verses 27-30 talk about the standards against adultery. Jesus’ topics on murder and adultery now both reveal people’s helplessness. The supreme standard gets hit more at one area that is hard to clean up–the thought life. This is where the Total Depravity of man kicks in. The really high standards of the law reveal that no matter how hard we try to avoid sin to work for salvation, the thought life hits it hard!

What It Means to be Salt and Light

I decided to divide today’s reading into two posts. The first is about the Beatitudes, not the Do-Attitudes, as the late J. Vernon McGee would say it. Now, I’d like to write a separate entry for salt and light. The Scripture reading is taken from Matthew 5:13-16 is about being salt and light. Jesus gives a short discussion. There’s an old Filipino anecdote that’s often said in different languages, “If the situation is bitter, just add sugar.” Sure, it might “help” but the effect is just short-term. A lot of people today prefer to have all the sugar-coated preaching (Jeremiah 5:31). Reading through Jeremiah, I could really say no wonder the offices of the pastor (shepherd), prophet, and priest, were repeatedly attacked. How many of these offices were occupied by people like Jeremiah? Jeremiah was taking the role of pastor, prophet, and priest because the land was so full of priests who bore rule by their means, prophets who prophesied falsely, and pastors who were fully irresponsible.

The Beatitudes of Jesus

Today’s reading from the Tecarta Bible’s Lenten reading plan is from Matthew 5:1-16. Though. I simply feel I’m going to write about the Beatitudes here instead. I may doubt that I could write one entry per day. However, I’ll try to write them. As I tried reading the book The Jesus You Can’t Ignore–I couldn’t help but reread the chapter of that book where the sermon on the mount was discussed. The sermon on the mount is a very long topic. When one thinks of a sermon, it’s a long discussion. Back then, I remember the threat of being sermoned. Most people preferred the spanking over the sermon. The sermon can hit more than just the surface. It can cut through the joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 describes the power of God’s Word to hurt even the very bone of the listener.